National Register of Historic Places

Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
May 29, 2001
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
01000594

About this property

The Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange is a historic telephone exchange building located at 17 S. Homan Avenue in the East Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Constructed between 1906 and 1907, it was part of a wave of telephone exchanges established across Chicago as demand for telephone service expanded rapidly around the turn of the 20th century. Chicago architecture firm Pond and Pond designed the Classical Revival building. The building's design is noteworthy for its decorative elements, which include a dentillated cornice and belt course and an arched entrance with floral corbels. Early telephone exchanges were staffed almost entirely by women, and Pond and Pond believed that a decorative design would be more inviting to female workers than a plain and functional building. Major Chicago firm Holabird & Roche designed three additions to the building in 1913, 1928, and 1948. The telephone exchange closed in the 1960s, and the building was subsequently used by the Wilhelm K. Roentgen Elementary School through the 1990s. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 30, 2001.

Location

17 S. Homan Ave.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.88031, -87.71087

Categories

COMMUNICATIONSSOCIAL HISTORYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

King, Patrick J., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Flower, Lucy, Technical High School for Girls
Industrial
0.5 mi
Midwest Athletic Club
Industrial
0.5 mi
Garfield Park
Listed
0.5 mi
Legler, Henry E., Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange listed on the National Register?

Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 29, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange?

Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange?

The period of significance for Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange?

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